Rust and Blood
by this fish flies
Summary: Full Metal Alchemist crossover Edward gets captured by Voldemort because of his knowledge of alchemy. Who else knows about him and how will he escape? FMAXHP. Chapter four: Harry's Day.
1. Captive and Captor

**Title: Rust and Blood  
Summary: FMAxHP Edward gets captured by Voldemort because of his knowledge of alchemy. Harry Potter crossover.  
Pairings: None yet.  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: Don't own, not mine.  
Warnings: Future torture. Language and violence. Possible slash later on.  
Note: Set after ep.51 of FMA and an AU after OOTP for HP. Some spoilers for HBP, though.**

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**Chapter One**  
_**Captive and Captor**_

Ed was used to being held captive. It was just one of those things that happened to him- a lot, actually. Normally he escaped with alchemy, but that was not possible now.

_Stupid gate. Couldn't it have taken me somewhere that alchemy worked?_ Edward grumbled in his head as he tested his bonds for the fifth time that minute. They still held fast.

The room he was being kept in was like all the others he had been held in. It could be in a basement or just some closet. The darkness was not complete, but it was dim enough that everything was at least in slight shadows. The rock that dug into his side told him that this was not a nicer place. Edward flashed a self-deprecating smile. _Other people have dreams of riches and success. My highest hope is to be held prisoner in a room with carpeting or_, he shivered, _central heating._

Edward wiggled on his side like a fish out of water. Whatever held his arms was tight. No matter how he moved he could not feel the ropes slide at all. There was no chafing. His legs were cramped and folded under him, so they refused any attempt at movement. They were probably just as securely bound. It was disturbing to be tied up so expertly.

A door opened but the room beyond it was not any brighter than where he lay. A shadow fell on him and, although he could not make out any details, he glared up through his bangs at the man in the doorway. "Our master is ready to question you now," he sneered. The condescending tone told Edward more than he wanted to know. When he realized what had been said, Ed almost groaned. When the one in charge was called 'master' it almost always meant they were batty. Question was just another word for torture to someone called 'master'.

He was unceremoniously dragged out the door and over the flagstones in the hall. Edward could not help stumbling and had barely recovered his balance when he was jerked through a large dark door.

Inside the new room he was shoved into a kneeling position. The cold seeped up from the stones, leeching away his body heat. The torches along the wall hardly brightened the area the room was so large. Everyone was wearing black, Ed noticed. That everyone was wasn't such a big feat since there were only a few more than a half a dozen people, but the creepy matching dress did not bode well. He registered this as his eyes followed the line of people to rest a chair that would be better called a throne. The man perched on top was cadaver pale and had beady red eyes. His nose was non-existent. Ed was reminded of a certain chimera as his manner just screamed 'snake'.

If Edward had a normal childhood he would have been frightened, or at least surprised by the man's appearance. He didn't, so he wasn't. All he felt was annoyance.

"Edward Elric…" The man on the throne began, purposefully speaking slowly.

"Hey, can we skip the introductions and pleasantries and get on with the threats or torture or whatever?" Impertinence came easily to Ed. He was well practiced in it.

A man to the left of the throne snarled. "Do you know who you are talking to, boy? This is the Dark Lord! He-" The man took a step forward and held something out.

"Lucius." The man, now identified as the Dark Lord reprimanded. He glanced at the one called Lucius. Lucius lowered whatever weapon was in his hand and shuffled a bit backwards. "Edward, Edward. You didn't have to be rude. Crucio."

Edward was not certain of the last word he heard because he was suddenly in pain. Horrifying pain. It was the pain of having automail attached, but it was throughout his whole body. His jaw had clenched and his eyes had snapped closed automatically. Ed pried them opened them to stare at the Dark Lord as he loosened his jaw. The pain was unexpected and excruciating, but he could deal with it. The pain stopped as suddenly as it had started as he looked into the eerie red eyes of his captor.

"Ouch." Ed spat out. "If you treat all your guests this way you won't make any friends." There was a high pitched giggle that reminded Ed of Gluttony. It had a sharp edge that can only be gained by idiocy or insanity. He could guess which one this was. It was the last thing he heard before everything went dark.

O O O O

Many things happened during Edward's blackout.

The Death Eater inner circle meeting was disbanded.

Voldemort seethed.

It was bad enough that Dumbledore and the Potter brat defied him, when someone with such low magical power like Elric did, and in front of his top supporters, he knew something was wrong. The boy was hiding something, he knew. He needed that information and it was his pleasure to find it out- any way he could. After he was through it would not matter what shambles the boy's mind or body was in. When nothing of him was left, Voldemort would be done.

The Dark Lord ordered a house-elf to bring him some wine. It was a muggle vintage, but the blood spilled to retrieve it made up for that. The crystal stemware that he held moments later glinted deadly. The ruby red wine picked up light from the torches and was like blood on fire. Voldemort stared at his own face reflected in the glass. It was so perfect he almost laughed as he tipped it back and downed it all. No one would stand up to him.

O O O O O

Elsewhere Edward's appearance was having a slightly different effect on a different group of people.

Snape had left the Dark Lord with a peculiar mixture of emotions. Fear had been his constant companion since the Lord's return but it was easily pushed to the corners of his thoughts. It did not control him, Snape never let any of his emotions have control. He was the master of his own mind and he exercised his mastery every second of every day.

Impotent and useless anger also had its place. It bubbled under the surface, distorting his calm. It was not something that just went way, and had to be slowly bled off. Gryffindors were great for that.

Surprise was always present after a Death Eater meeting. Either at the new depths of depravity he had witnessed or at the twisted paths down which the Dark Lord's thoughts traveled. It always astonished Snape that, given that same information, the Dark Lord's ideas were so vastly different from his own. He was mad and Snape always wondered why he did not see it before.

Another emotion that he was used to living with was guilt. Guilt and its companion shame. It hurt his soul what he had to do as a Death Eater, to convince Voldemort of his loyalty. No matter how many times he reminded himself that he was on the side of the Light, that it was all for some Greater Good, he still heard the screams.

His only comfort was that, this time, he had not been cursed. That even Lucius, who had spoken out of turn and been reprimanded, had not been cursed was doubly surprising. The new prisoner really held the Lord's full attention.

The boy- Edward Elric- had also been very surprising. He was a total unknown, and that was unheard of. None of the other Death Eaters present knew much about him. Snape did not even know who captured him or where. What the Dark Lord planned for him could be anything. His background was even hard to guess. Snape knew he had never seen him at Hogwarts, even though he looked to be of schoolboy age.

Snape not recognizing him was not too shocking when you took in the boy's very low magic. It was almost invisible. Snape would almost say he was a muggle, or at best a squib. For the Dark Lord to even look at him meant that he was something different. Something Dumbledore needed to know about, as soon as possible.

Arriving at Hogwarts, Snape did not head to his own room first. He went straight to the Headmaster's office. The Potions Master hardly glared at the gargoyle as he muttered the latest inane candy name that served as the password. Infuriatingly, Dumbledore called for Severus to enter even as he lifted his had to knock at the top of the stairs. Snape really hated that. He knew there were plenty of spells that could see through doors but he could never be sure Albus even used them. The man was just that observant that he might be able to do without.

"Dear boy, sit down and have some tea. You have news, I expect." Dumbledore knew Snape well and knew that when he veered from his norm something significant was happening.

"He has taken a new prisoner," Snape inclined his head as he replied.

"An Order member? - No one has been reported missing." Dumbledore's gaze sharpened as a list of names and last known locations of his members flitted through his mind.

"No." Snape returned quickly. "A boy. Someone I have never even heard of. A squib or muggle, by his magic levels, I think."

"And he is not just there for 'entertainment'?" Snape nodded. Trying not to think of the type of entertainment Dumbledore meant. "Then he has information, or is important some other way. Voldemort would not hold anyone who was not useful.

"My thoughts, also."

Dumbledore absentmindedly popped a lemon sherbet into his mouth as he pondered the new development. Voldemort had not been going on the offensive in his war lately. Only his normal raids for his unique form of fear-mongering. Either he was desperate or the power he would gain was enough to compel him to act.

"What else do you know?"

Professor Snape grimaced. "Only his name and general appearance. Third to fifth year in age, long blond hair and light eyes. His clothing was of muggle make. He taunted the Dark Lord and did not scream while under his Cruicatus. He was called Elric. Edward Elric."

Dumbledore literally stopped moving when he heard the name. Snape saw him take a deep breath. "Elric," he breathed out like a sigh. "This is serious. We will have to get him out of there. A soon as possible." He looked down at his desk and shuffled a few papers around.

"It is late, get some rest. I'll be calling an Order meeting tomorrow afternoon. We'll need to be at out sharpest for this."

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**End note:**** The full first chapter. Edited once again for clarity and flow. After rereading I found so many sticky points I just had to fix it. Still, constructive criticism would be wonderful. All comments make me work faster getting these things out. I need all the encouragement I can get.**

_In the next chapter:_ Ed comes to.


	2. Escape Attempts Are Never Without Pain

**Title: Rust and Blood  
Summary: FMAxHP Edward gets captured by Voldemort because of his knowledge of alchemy. Harry Potter crossover.  
Pairings: None yet.  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: Don't own, not mine.  
Warnings: Torture. Language and violence. Possible slash, gore, and squicky-ness later on.  
Note: Set after ep.51 of FMA and an AU after OOTP for HP. Possibly HBP and DH spoilers.**

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**Chapter Two**  
_**Escape Attempts Are Never Without Pain**_

When Edward regained consciousness he could not tell if it was still night or morning or some other, later, time. The gloom in his cell of a room was the same as before. If it was lighter outside he would not know. This being the case, he was not sure if he was out for a few minutes or several hours. Ed could also not remember how he was knocked out. _A blow to the head, perhaps?_ He thought.

He did remember the pain, though. His whole body ached and felt as if he would not be able to move. Not that he could anyway, with him being trussed up like a roasting pig. Being tied up actually made it worse, he supposed. He might not want to move while he felt so horrible, but the resistance when he tried just jarred his tender nerves.

If Edward had believed in a god, this would be the perfect time to begin cursing it. Or begging it for help. As he did not believe, he decided to once again try for escape.

"Try, try again, and all that," he croaked out. It surprised him- how rough his throat felt, how scratchy his voice sounded. _Torture does not agree with me._

Edward was stubborn. Iron shackles could not hold him when he was being mulish. His last, poor attempt to escape was fueled by a small amount of panic and he did not think it through. No longer just struggling, Ed contorted his body. He slowly inched his right arm higher up his back. It hurt, but he didn't stop. The strange positioning and a quick jerk caused his shoulder to pop out of its socket. It hurt, but not as much as a real arm would. The pros of automail. Popping it back in would be quite painful, so he shouldn't get too excited about it.

He continued to move his arm. It was a good thing it was fake, as he would not be able to do this with his other. After a few minutes of careful wiggling and several feats not physically possible, he had his arm free.

The first thing he did was slowly push himself into a more comfortable sitting position. That eased a few aches and pains. Gritting his teeth, he twisted and wrenched his arm back into place. _Much better, _he thought, massaging his shoulder carefully. He then reached around his back to feel whatever still held his other arm. It was nothing he could identify. It was neither chains nor rope. It was hardly substantial at all. It was thin against his arm, like ribbon or paper. It had a strange texture, too. Not smooth or rough it had a coarse weave, like burlap. He furrowed his brow, but tore at it any way. His arm stung for a second, but whatever the strange material was gave away after a moment. Ed tried to take hold of it, but it just disintegrated in his hand.

It was something to think about, but Edward had already moved on to getting his legs free. With both arms and hands it was quick work. The same thing as his arms held his legs, so it acted in the same matter. First there was a sting as whatever it was broke, and then it just seemed to melt. Ed told himself to wonder about it when he was truly out of here. He had more important things to deal with.

First things first, Edward got his legs out from under him. Stretching them out in front of himself, he groaned. Moving was not good. Even the simplest of motions felt like he was struggling under a large blanket. His muscles _burned._ Ed did what he had to do and endured. He could do this. It took a few moments to convince himself that he could, but slowly the tremors that shock his whole body subsided into a twitching shaking.

Closing his eyes did not change anything about is whole situation, but it did help the pounding pressure in his head. Edward allowed himself a few seconds respite before resuming action. Who knew when his tormentors would be back? He crawled around feeling the walls for a hinge or crack; anything to indicate a way out.

A clock was ticking away in his head and he had no notion when the alarm would sound. Every second was vital.

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**End note:**** Sorry for the short chapter, but this one was getting a bit long and it seems it would take a while longer so I broke it apart. I'm coming along on what is now chapter three, so don't worry. I am getting more into this story and can't wait to see what happens next. My outline is sketchy so I keep getting surprised. **

**I still need a beta. I know someone offered, but that was a while ago. Hopefully my writing is not too horrible, but I know I always miss some strange typos and such. So if you feel up to it, offer away. **

**The next chapter will be longer, I assure you. Hopefully the action will pick up soon, but I don't think it will until chapter four. I'll try to write faster. Reviews do make me work faster, actually. The reason I felt I had to get this out **_**now**_** was because more people put it in favorites or on alert. So if you did, you're the reason this is out. Now I'll stop my rambling and get more done on the third chapter.**

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_In the next chapter:_ The Order meets. 


	3. Planning and Decisions

**Title: Rust and Blood  
Summary: FMAxHP Edward gets captured by Voldemort because of his knowledge of alchemy. Harry Potter crossover.  
Pairings: None yet.  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: Don't own, not mine.  
Warnings: Future torture. Language and violence. Possible slash later on.  
Note: Set after ep.51 of FMA and an AU after OOTP for HP. Some spoilers for HBP, though.**

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**Chapter Three**  
_**Planning and Decisions **_

The first thought Snape had when he awoke was along the lines of 'no children to teach today'. It was slightly more colorful, as in the early hours when he is not quite coherent Snape is known to be slightly crude.

Snape was sure that summer was more of a pleasure for him than for any of his students. For one, he did not have any summer work. He also got to spend most of his time working on his potions without interruptions.

Well, there was the odd Dark Lord or twinkling Headmaster. That thought made him visibly wince. There would be a full order meeting later. Dumbledore said he needed a little time to "make arrangements" but that hopefully they would be able to plan on getting the Elric boy out of captivity soon. Maybe in time Snape would know the reason why that boy was worth so much attention, attention from both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore. He was not anything 'who-lived' so Snape had no clue. Grabbing something from the platter the house elves had set on the table for breakfast, he headed to his lab.

Dwelling on things that wouldn't change was pointless. Snape had long since given up trying to figure out Dumbledore's mad machinations. If he was to know it would happen when it did. While he waited he could work on Pain-Relieving Potions for Poppy and then work on his private research a bit more. In a Potions induced hypnosis Snape hardly noticed the time pass. He only stopped to eat when a house elf popped in. When his timer went off telling him it was almost time for the meeting, he was both surprised and not. When he brewed seriously he knew he went into a trance-like state, but how much time passed was always different.

Snape quickly washed up before stalking off to the great hall. For once the Order would not be trekking off to Grimmauld Place. Snape could not be happier. Grimmauld was a horrible place, both because of the depressing atmosphere and all of the reminders of Black. The Dark Magic residue around the house never bothered Snape, but it did set most everyone else in the Order on edge. The Order of the Phoenix was devoted to the Light and everyone but Snape shunned the Dark. It was fitting and understandable, but it made Snape's lip curl. It was bias one way or the other, and they did not really see it that way. Dumbledore almost got it, but he himself was too of the Light himself.

He was early but Moody and Kingsley was already there talking to the Headmaster. Moody's eye swiveled as soon as he entered the room. Perhaps it saw him through the door; Snape could not really be sure. Kingsley eyed him in the way of Aurors: determining the threat level in a glance before turning back to what they were doing. Snape knew that he was still being watched, even if it was just peripheral vision. He was not a fool. This sort of awareness was damn useful. Police work drilled it into you, but so did spying. Kingsley and Moody had the same mistrust of Snape. They had fought each other in the first war and knew what the other could do. Unlike the younger members they did not fear Snape. They knew how dangerous he was and he was a real threat. He was not just some bogey man that lurked in dark dungeons and assigned detentions or took away points. The older members respected him, but it was grudgingly.

McGonagall slunk in the side door just before Snape had reached the table. One could not mistake the cat in her movements. Sometimes Snape thought the tabby was just an act and she was really some larger hunting cat. Calling her a lioness might be cliché, but before a mission Snape would swear she growled. He had never gotten close to her in battle, but she probably purred as she transfigured Death Eaters into small mammals.

"Good afternoon Minerva."

"Yes, good day, Severus. Albus, Aurors Moody and Shacklebolt," Minerva nodded to everyone. She always held to her habit of politely greeting everyone before she got down to business. Kingsley and Moody murmured hellos. Dumbledore smiled his grandfatherly smile at both Snape and McGonagall.

"Severus, Minerva. Glad you arrived bit early." The Headmaster stepped back once as they approached. "We were just going over Voldemort's defenses before the meeting started. Just to make sure we are forgetting nothing."

That was Snape's cue. He had gotten used to being the one to inform on the Dark Lord's every move. Everyone counted on his information to be accurate, which made the few failures more palpable. When something failed because of lack of information it was on his shoulders in his mind. If no one said it they thought it, somewhere in the back of their minds.

"As some people already suspected, the Dark Lord's new bas is currently one of the lesser known Black estates. It is under the control of Bellatrix so there is no way _our_ Black connections could help." Snape had to stop himself from sneering at this. If Sirius Black was alive he would be able to wrest control of the wards with no problem as he was the oldest male heir. His death was very disadvantageous, strategically. Thinking about what could not be was pointless. Snape continued with explaining about the location.

Unlike Grimmauld Place, the manor that Bellatrix controlled in Kent was actually nice. Or, it had been, before the Dark Lord got his hands on it. The wards had originally been simple ones for a pureblood family. They had been benign, considering how the family operated. Snape guessed that the house was newer than most of the others, built by someone in the family that was a bit less rabid than the others.

Now whatever the original architect had had in mind was gleefully pushed aside for something a bit more aggressive. Bellatrix's insanity did not help matters. The wards got confused several times and harmed other Death Eaters. The Dark Lord found such mishaps hilarious.

By the time Snape had finished his account, all the Order was present. Even the Weasley twins. Snape had no idea how they convinced their mother to let them join. That Dumbledore did not allow the Potter brat and company to join was a miracle. Snape sometimes imagined going back to the Dark Lord if he had to see the dunderhead out of school. The Occlumency lessons had almost sent him over the edge. Potters and Snapes were just never meant to get along.

The members gave their mundane reports that always almost put Snape to sleep. Dumbledore gave further orders as he updated everyone on some of the larger, long term plans. A large bulk of the Order left after that.

Dumbledore then detailed the rescue plan. He gave several dire warnings while still managing to smile like he was talking about his favorite candies. With all the information the Headmaster was giving on the _what, when, _and _how_, Snape wondered about the _who _and _why._

The wizards and witches that stayed were supposed to be the most skilled, but Snape saw the Tonks girl talking with the Destructive Duo at the end of the table. Snape had his doubts. Tripping over floorboards and setting off fireworks were nowhere in the current plans, and adding them would facilitate nothing but failure.

Moody and Kingsley would be leading the strike, being the most experienced tacticians. Their support would be several of the other members, including Lupin. He would serve well as a lookout with his nose. A few would stay back on standby. Hopefully backup would not be needed.

Snape shook his head. _In war, when did anything go as planned?_

O+O+O+O+

That morning Harry Potter had woken up with a splitting headache. He had vague memories of his dream but the only thing he was sure of was Alchemy. He knew it was somehow connected to Voldemort, but he did not know how. Harry frowned, rubbing his scar. This was something he should inform the Order of, he thought. But it was not at all conclusive or even that helpful. It was a hazy recollection that could have originated from his own subconscious. It was not a vision like those he had in the past.

If Harry did tell anyone like Hermione or Remus they would just lecture about the danger he was in and how he needed to work on his Occlumency more. They really couldn't understand how Harry felt.

The information did not seem too dangerous. The Philosopher's Stone, the most important artifact in Alchemy had been destroyed years ago. Nicolas Flamel was probably already dead. The only thing else Harry remember of Alchemy was about gold, and that was hardly anything like a weapon. Dumbledore already knew that Voldemort had been interested in the Stone.

Still, Harry was unsure about his decision. He knew what Snape would say about it and those words echoed through his head. "Arrogant idiot," was the loudest. Harry brooded on it all afternoon. He had little else to do. By nightfall he had decided against his early thoughts. No matter how small he should not keep it quiet. Hopefully no one would make a big deal about it. He would mention something about it in his next letter to the Order. That was Harry's last thought before he fell asleep in his small room.

* * *

**End note:**** Well, it was a longer chapter. I'm not totally pleased with this, but it is the best I can make it at the time. If I spend any longer tweaking it I'll never get it posted. I've been puttering around enough as it is. **

**Here was my first scene with Harry. Hopefully there will be more of him. No Edward here. That makes me sad, as I love writing him.**

**Some good news and bad news- Good news is I got a laptop. I'll be able to work on my fics anywhere. Bad news is I am now in college. Which might be a bit good as I like to type when not paying attention in Government. So the next chapter might come out faster, or slower. Who knows?**

**This has been a long end note, so I'll end it here. Please review- I need all the input I can get. As I edit this myself I know it is full of mistakes and could be much better. I'm always looking for betas (email me if you really want to- address in profile).**

* * *

_In the next chapter:_ Rescue? Escape?


	4. Ever the Ordinary Day

**Title: Rust and Blood  
Summary: FMAxHP Edward gets captured by Voldemort because of his knowledge of alchemy. Harry Potter crossover  
Pairings: None yet.  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: Don't own, not mine.  
Warnings: Future torture. Language and violence. Possible slash later on.  
Note: Set after ep.51 of FMA and an AU after OOTP for HP. Some spoilers for HBP, though.**

* * *

**Chapter Four**  
_**Ever the Ordinary Day**_

The day at number 4 Privet Drive started the same as all others, with Dudley thudding down the stairs and Vernon ranting at the breakfast table. Petunia did not force Harry to make breakfast like she had done for so many years in the past; the warnings from the Order had done some good. She did not even wake Harry up with screaming and pounding on his door. Harry thought that was so she would not have to feed him breakfast, but it could just be from her general distaste for him. It was hard to distinguish outright malice from plain loathing in the Dursley household.

Harry awoke at seven, just as sunlight crept onto his face. The Dursleys had already finished their breakfast, which was amazing as they had only started a few minutes before. Dudley had mastered the art of eating a lot quickly. Harry himself had perfected eating fast, but that was only so it would not be taken away from him.

The window was half shut, so Harry opened it fully. A grateful Hedwig flew down from the roof and onto her perch. She settled down to sleep after hooting and playfully nipping at Harry's finger. It wasn't surprising that she was tried, she had delivered letters to both Hermione and Ron the day before. For some reason she felt that she had to hurry back to Harry, just in case something bad had happened. Harry was worried that now Hedwig was acting so protective. It did make him uneasy. When his owl thought he was unsafe he knew something was bad going on.

After pacing a bit, Harry heard the noise he was waiting for, a slam of the front door and the start of an engine. Vernon was off to work, and Dudley would be leaving to terrorize the town and all the other children. He had recently started hanging out at the mall, making crude comments to women. Chatting up girls was yet another thing he failed at, but then, Harry was not one to compare. His love life was just as barren and windswept. He did not delude himself to that fact anymore. The disaster with Cho was enough of a wake up call.

A few minutes later another slamming door announced Dudley's departure. A second spent pulling on some shoes and he was in the kitchen grabbing some bread. He didn't even bother to toast it before going out to the backyard. It was a nice day and the sky was clear. Even without being locked in a cupboard Harry felt as if he was going stir crazy. The thought that friends could be fighting Death Eaters and he was stuck in Surrey was uncomfortable. 

_Nothing like being hopeless and alone,_ Harry thought to himself as he went through the back gate. The bread was gone by the time he closed the gate. Harry followed the cheap stone path around the side of the house. Vernon had gotten some landscaping done, but it was shoddy. Harry thought it was a bit hideous. The flagstones were a dull speckled pink and the new shrubbery were already over grown. That added to the new coat of taupe paint on the shutters made one feel queasy. 

Harry spent the day wondering around the block before eventually coming home in the early afternoon. Then he dragged out some school books and worked on piles of seemingly endless summer work. Halfway through a Transfiguration paper he thought it best to grab something to eat before the Dursleys returned. Harry made a a few sandwiches and got himself a glass of juice. He carried it all back to his room.

He was not much further in his paper when he heard a car pull up. Petunia was back from whatever she did during the day, meaning Vernon would soon be home. Dudley would not be back until late, if he did come back. He and Vernon had had a small row when he did not come back until the next day after going out. 

It was interesting to see Vernon go off on someone who was no Harry. After only a short time with his father turning purple and spouting off about drugs, gangs, and "bad crowds" Dudley was apologizing and saying he would never do it again. Harry did not believe it at all. Harry had seen enough teenagers to understand how they normally were, disobeying their parents about skipping school. Dudley was just the type to fit those worn stereotypes. _And, with his intelligence, he'll get caught._

Harry would love to be there when that happened, but somehow it would be blamed on him. The only reason he had not been blamed for Dudley's night out was because Vernon had practically forgotten him. That was the wonderful thing about laying low.

It was dark when Vernon finally returned from work. He and Petunia talked loudly over diner and while watching television. Harry knew better than to venture out of his room until they both went to bed. No matter what kind of say Vernon had had, he was never happy. Harry often thought he needed to find some sort of hobby. Before he knew it, the house was quiet. 

Without making any noise, Harry scampered into the bathroom. He quickly wen through the motions of bathing before rushing back to his room. He barely glanced at his school work before he shoved it away. As he was about to let Hedwig out, he remembered the thought he had yesterday night. He had resolved to telling the Order about his dream, and he would not go back on his resolution. 

He hastily drew out a piece of parchment and a quill. He wrote saying that he was well and being treated fairly, and added the bit about having a vision about Voldemort at the end. He wrote just a few short sentences and hoped they would be ignored or looked over. Harry was not looking forward to the scolding he wold receive.

"To Dumbledore, or Remus, Hedwig. Who ever is the closest," he murmured to the bird as he tied the letter to her leg. Then he opened the window and watched her fly away into the dark sky.

All in all, it had been a normal summer day for Harry, or at least normal for this year. Harry could not help but feel that that would change some time soon, but he always had that feeling nowadays. If something dangerous or traumatic or dramatic did not happen he would not be Harry Potter.

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**End note: ****So, this has been longer coming than the others. I know, I know. I'm sorry, like always. But do not despair. The next chapter is already almost completed and will be shortly released. Look for it in a few days. **

**And again, reviews are appreciated. I really do love getting them, even if they say something mean. It means someone read this and had some sort of feelings about it. That's what every writer wants, even fanfic writers.**

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_In the next chapter:_ The lost time between days.


End file.
